In a historic victory, Zohran Mamdani has won the New York mayoral elections, marking a decisive moment in American urban politics and echoing far beyond the city’s borders. Mamdani, a young progressive of Ugandan-Indian origin, is the son of prominent academic Mahmoud Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair. His multicultural background and his outspoken political stances have positioned him at the heart of a new movement that connects social justice at home with liberation struggles abroad—especially in Palestine and Gaza.
Who is Zohran Mamdani?
Mamdani, 33, first entered politics as a state assemblyman representing Astoria, Queens. Known for his energy, directness, and grassroots appeal, he has become one of the most prominent figures in the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party.
Born in Kampala, Uganda, and raised in New York, Mamdani embodies the experience of the immigrant who feels both the injustices of systemic inequality and the moral obligation to challenge them. He has repeatedly said that his politics are guided by empathy and solidarity — values he traces to his family’s own story of displacement and resilience.
His victory is not a mere political success; it is a symbol of moral defiance, a statement that challenges Washington’s silence on Gaza and the global structures of oppression that sustain it.
“Justice,” Mamdani often says, “is not selective. If it does not include Gaza, it is not justice at all.”
A Campaign Rooted in Humanity
Mamdani’s campaign was built on a platform of housing justice, economic equality, public safety reform, and free public transportation. He pledged to introduce rent freezes, expand social housing, and redirect public spending from policing to education and community investment.
In interviews with Al-Jazeera, he described his campaign as “a fight for the working class,” arguing that New York must serve its people, not its billionaires. He also called for a moral realignment in city governance—one that prioritizes dignity over profit.
Another core element of his campaign was transparency and accountability in policing, with commitments to curb surveillance and restore community trust—a stance that has earned him both praise and fierce opposition from establishment figures.
The Most Crucial Issues He Seeks to Tackle
Mamdani has identified affordable housing, public transit reform, and social equity as his top domestic priorities. However, he has also emphasized the importance of moral leadership on international issues, especially on Palestine.
He is among the few US politicians who openly call Israel’s actions in Gaza “genocidal,” a term he has used repeatedly since the Israeli assault of 2024. He insists that silence in the face of such atrocities “makes one complicit,” a statement that resonated deeply among Arab and Muslim communities, as well as among young American progressives demanding consistency between domestic and foreign policy ethics.
To know more about Zohran Mamdani’s win, his political role in New York, and his position on the Palestinian cause, Al-Manar English Website conducted an exclusive interview with Ali Rizk, writer and expert in American affairs.
The significance of Zohran Mamdani’s victory for New York
The scope of Mamdani’s promised change and the limits of his authority
Is Mamdani’s position on Palestine a genuine commitment or a selective stance?
Israeli Alarm: A Warning Bell in ‘Tel Aviv’
Israeli reactions to Mamdani’s win have been marked by unease and alarm. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth wrote, “Zohran Mamdani’s victory as mayor of New York City is not a passing event. It reflects a widening trend that questions the very legitimacy of the so-called Jewish state and its right to self-determination.”
“It is astonishing that New York—the city that witnessed the September 11 attacks and hosts the largest Jewish community in the world—has chosen a Muslim figure known for his sharp criticism of Israel.”
“This victory proves that Israel no longer enjoys consensus inside American society, amid the growing influence of progressive Democrats,” the Zionist daily added.
Additionally, the Zionist Minister of Diaspora Affairs also expressed concern, declaring, “The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York is a global event, not merely an American one.”
Such statements reveal a growing fear in ‘Tel Aviv’ that the fortress of pro-Israeli enemy consensus in the US is beginning to crack—not through slogans, but through the democratic choice of millions of voters.
Mamdani’s Statements on Israeli Occupation Draw Scrutiny
During his campaign, Zohran Mamdani said that, if elected mayor, he would arrest Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York, citing the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant. Netanyahu later dismissed the statement as a “silly threat,” according to the New York Post.
At a May 2025 forum, Mamdani said he believes the Israeli occupation entity “has a right to exist,” though he avoided describing it as a Jewish state—a position that has drawn mixed reactions from both supporters and critics. The Times of ‘Israel’ noted that he framed this stance around “equal rights for all.”
Mamdani has also been active in pro-Palestinian advocacy, previously criticizing the New York Police Department’s handling of student protests at Columbia University. However, some activists told Al-Jazeera that he has tempered some of his earlier rhetoric while positioning himself for higher office.
In 2023, Mamdani condemned Hamas’s October 7 Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, calling it a “horrific war crime.” His evolving positions reflect the challenges faced by progressive politicians navigating Middle East issues within US electoral politics.
A Win Beyond Borders
In essence, Zohran Mamdani’s victory is more than a political event. It is a statement that justice for Gaza, equality for New Yorkers, and dignity for the oppressed everywhere are interconnected struggles.
Source: Al-Manar Website
